Imperfect: An Improbable Life (38 page)

Maddy and Ella on the day Michigan retired my number. They made a wonderful day better.
Dana Abbott

To Maddy and Ella, so they may know the courage
and sacrifice of their grandparents;
and to Dana, my best friend
.

— J
IM

To Kelly, my strength; and to Connor and Timmy,
may you always know my pride
.

— T
IM

Acknowledgments

I didn’t want to turn on a tape recorder and simply tell my story.

Whenever—and wherever—possible, I asked others for their assistance with the details so that I could re-create the past forty-some years through their eyes, as well.

First, I’d like to thank my parents, Mike and Kathy, for who they are, what they stand for, and what they tried to make of me; and my brother, Chad, for always getting back up; and my aunt Katie Norris, for being a wonderful person.

Thanks to Harvey Dorfman, for allowing me to lean on him for all those years, and then opening his files and speaking from the heart. I sure miss you, Harvey. Just so you know, I’m still working through your reading list.

I’m grateful for Tim Mead, the best PR man in the business, who saved boxes of newspaper clips, letters, and photos that twenty years later became the backbone of this book. More, I owe him for his friendship. And special thanks to V. J. Lovero, John Cordes, and Debbie Robinson.

Thank you to those who contributed hours of their lives for the
interviews that filled in my memories, and for the kindness they showed while making those memories: Doug Rader, who gave me the ball; Marcel Lachemann, who taught me when and where to throw it; Bob McClure, who tried to show me the way; Mike Fiore, Ed Sprague, and the rest of the ’88 Olympic team, who grew up with me over two of the greatest summers of our lives; Scott Boras, for making it personal; and Kirk McCaskill, for letting me tag along.

Thanks for believing in me, Donn Clarkson, Bob Holec, Joe Eufinger, Don Welke, Jim Schneider, Bud Middaugh, Jeff Blanchard, and Ted Mahan.

To Matt Nokes for his insights; to Billy Connors for his compassion; to Rick Peterson for his trust; to Don Mattingly for his leadership; to Mike Gallego for his passion; to Bill Lachemann for his toughness; to Brian Cashman for his help; to Buck Showalter for his determination; to Pat Courtney for his spirit; and to Jack Curry for his professionalism, I thank you.

Thanks to my East Court neighborhood friends Mark Conover, Johnny Lutton, David Cramer, Chris Ebbott, Stuart Kale, Alex Green, Danny Nathan, Pete Philpott, Howard Croft, and all the rest for letting me in the games.

This book does not happen without David Black, who loved the idea of it from the start, and Mark Tavani, who made the idea presentable, and Lilly Walters Schermerhorn, who provided the spark.

To Tim Brown I will forever be grateful. In many ways he had the impossible task of putting into words many feelings and thoughts I had been unable to adequately articulate for much of my life. With never-ending enthusiasm and empathy, he succeeded beyond what I could have hoped for, or imagined. From here on out, I look forward to being his friend, and his fan.

Thanks to the many others who helped with their memories, encouragement,
and support along the way. Over the seasons and the years, I benefited greatly from the generosity of so many teammates, trainers, coaches, teachers, and team personnel. You are part of this. And thank you to the children who came to say hello. You inspired me.

I would also like to thank Pete, Jan, Dean, and D. J. Douty. Their love and support for me in any endeavor, including this book, has been unwavering.

Finally, Tim and I are forever grateful for Dana Abbott and Kelly Mullens-Brown, for their love, their words, their deeds, and their patience.

Especially their patience.

About the Authors

J
IM
A
BBOTT
was a major-league pitcher for ten seasons; an All-American at the University of Michigan; an Olympic gold medalist; and threw a no-hitter for the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in 1993. After retiring in 1999, he has worked with the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and as a motivational speaker. He and his family split time between Southern California and northern Michigan.

T
IM
B
ROWN
is the award-winning national baseball columnist for Yahoo! Sports. For twenty-five years he has covered Major League Baseball for the
Los Angeles Times, Newark Star-Ledger, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Los Angeles Daily News
, and Yahoo! He studied journalism at the University of Southern California and California State–Northridge. He lives with his wife in Venice, California.